Dave Cooper summarized the frustration of campus-adjacent neighborhoods on Thursday night, August 27, when he told Urban County Council members, “Let’s face it. These are satellite fraternity houses.”

Another longtime resident spoke of growing up in the neighborhood; leaving for his doctoral work; and returning home, only to find “Couches were burning in the street approximately once a week.” Then he clarified, “there was a fire once a week,” while couches were burned, on average, “once a month.” He’s already moved once, staying within the neighborhood, adding, “It’s frustrating that I feel displaced out of my own neighborhood that I grew up in, but I feel sorry for someone that has less resources,” and isn’t able to relocate easily.

He told the Council, “This is not about students, but about the University of Kentucky…a neighbor that seems immune to almost anything you guys do.”

Kathy Pickett added that she didn’t blame the students. For example, it’s a Permit Parking neighborhood, “so the kids park in their yards,” because they have few alternatives. She expressed further concern that now landlords appear to be paving over backyards in the Westwood Court area and turning them into parking lots to compensate.

Council Member Gorton responded that the landlords’ practices are “not a fair way to re-zone a neighborhood—by just building it into a high-density area.”

Council Member Doug Martin said his district is also facing such issues, “These structures are not being used as single family residences…These are being used as apartment buildings.”

Council Member Beard added “We have to get our arms around [this issue] before it buries us. We have to remember that the University of Kentucky is planning on adding six to eight thousand students in the next 10 years.”

Mayor Newberry told the assembled citizens, “There’s a lot of history on this issue but the end result is not good yet.” (He also asked Kathy Pickett for the addresses where landlords were preparing to pave the backyards.)

He said, “We’re gonna have to take a page outta Newtown Pike and hold the University accountable. The University has to take ownership.” (This comment was greeted by applause.)

UK student Patrick ODowd echoed those sentiments in an online discussion shortly after LFUCG adjourned. He said, “Neighborhoods and renters will have to force change. UK simply has no interest in this matter besides allocating UKPD on party nights to these streets.”

He raised an important issue, “Since campus is dry, the frats just move the parties to frat brother houses off campus…” which equals “Less supervision and more chaos. And that will push more of the frats even more into surrounding neighborhoods.” He said, “I think you’ll see the problem get worse before it gets better, because UK will be tearing down frat houses on campus in coming years I have even heard of frats renting houses for the year, not living in them, and using them just for parties,” which comes as no surprise to residents of campus-adjacent neighborhoods.

Council Member Gorton proposed to add a timeline to the discussion, but Council Member Feigel asked that the Mayor shut down the discussion as a “point of order,” arguing that it amounted to debating a non-agenda item.

The meeting was adjourned before Council Members Gorton and Lawless were able to propose a timeline on existing or new ordinances that could address this issue, much of which falls under Infill and Redevelopment (but also Town-Gown, code enforcement, and numerous others).

In the online discussion that followed (for several days), it was also suggested that “trichotillomania” might not have the same bumper sticker potential for Vice Mayor Gray as “hoodwinked.”

Julie Smith

I think that the Mayor needs to call a meeting inviting all of the neighborhood association members and landlords in the surrounding campus areas to speak. I don’t think anyone understands the magnitude of this problem. There are many neighborhoods that are rapidly being ruined. It is becoming like the ghetto of a large city.

I am a resident of a neighborhood adjacent to campus…In the last few months, my children and myself have witnessed the drug dealing of a neighbor to student clientele, the petty crime that goes along with such activities, the retaliation for “getting caught”. He assumed the “grown up” neighbors called the police. Guns were even lying in the street and pulled for protection. The other neighbors have had the police at their house repeatedly, some undercover. Who knows what that is about? My children witness this on a regular basis, and are becoming fearful to go to sleep at night.

My fence gets taken down or pickets kicked out on a regular basis (of course I was cited for this condition), my trash can gets dumped regularly, things get stolen, and I have many of sleepless nights due to the neighbors partying.

This has been a relatively quiet neighborhood in the recent past. I have met several good students while owning the home that I am living in. I understand many of their issues. I was also a previous landlord of campus property, and I understand many of the issues facing this sector…I have had the pleasure of having to repair the very costly damage to my houses repeatedly. There is no profit in that. I finally sold the houses at a loss. One of my houses was used by students as their off campus drinking facility…it was a house I put massive amounts of my own labor and funds to fix up. Rent prices must go up to cover the damage. This makes it unaffordable for a family or a professional or couple to rent in these neighborhoods. I don’t know what the solution is.

I agree that U.K. must be held accountable for many of these problems. Now we are facing an influx of more people being pushed off campus (the smokers) into the surrounding neighborhoods. I have no problems with smokers, but where are they supposed to live, park, etc.?

On the positive side, these communities have a lot to offer, education, employment, green space, parks, medical care, easy access to downtown, wonderful, educated, eclectic & very talented neighbors. Maybe the solution would be to make it more affordable for first time home buyers to move into these neighborhoods and improve the condition of the neighborhood???

I think UK should have the responsibility for providing parking and a place to live (including the drinking of alcohol for those over 21 and the smoking of cigarettes) for their students, whom are adults after all. Maybe some of their aspiring lawyers, architects, politicians, marketing professionals, sociologists, etc. should do internships studying, designing and improving the surrounding neighborhoods. There is nothing like a little “hands-on” education.

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